Become a sheriff's officer

Sheriff's officers are uniformed, frontline officers who are responsible for enforcing warrants and orders issued by the courts, and who take action against people who do not comply with their debt-related court orders. Sheriff’s officers are authorised to exercise a range of enforcement powers (External link) if the defendant does not take action to resolve their outstanding matters.

On any given day, a sheriff’s officer will be dealing with members of the community in a wide variety of situations. No day is the same, and sheriff’s officers need to have the ability to think on their feet to solve problems on the spot. You can be dealing with people who have unpaid fines and have had their car clamped, or with a business that hasn’t honoured its court orders.

As a sheriff’s officer you will be part of a team helping to make Victoria a safer and fairer community for everyone.

Benefits of becoming a sheriff’s officer

Start as a trainee sheriff’s officer, and you can then develop a career across the Sheriff’s Office Victoria and the broader Victorian Public Service.

The employee benefits you can look forward to include:

• officer safety training to enable the carrying and safe use of officer safety equipment (including extendable baton, OC spray, handcuffs)
• three months paid pre-service training
• work life balance -  sheriff’s officers work an eight-day fortnight, across a Monday to Friday roster. Occasionally, overtime and weekend work may be available 
• four weeks paid annual leave, three weeks personal leave and provisions for study leave
• annual salary increases
• earning an initial base salary of $58,539 plus 11.5% superannuation in the first three months, increasing to $68,045 on completion of the pre-service training
• a certificate IV in Court Operations (Compliance) that, when completed, increases the base salary to $69,234
• learning and development courses and leadership programs
• opportunities for career progression including higher duties
• long-service leave of three months on full-pay, or six months on half-pay after 10 years of service - access to accrued long service leave on a pro-rata basis after seven years
• well-being programs including the Employee Wellbeing Service (EWS)
• salary packaging options for novated car lease, superannuation and self-education expenses.

Eligibility

• You need to be an Australian or New Zealand citizen or hold Australian permanent residency.
• Hold a current Victorian driver's licence and currently possess or be willing to obtain a first-aid certificate.
• A certain level of health and fitness is needed. Learn more about our sheriff’s officer pre-service health assessment (External link).

How sheriff's officers work

Sheriff’s officers act with integrity

Sheriff’s officers maintain high levels of integrity in all their conversations and actions. 

To be effective they are:

• respectful of members of the community as individuals, each with their own situations and characteristics
• highly aware of what is going on and can make well considered decisions quickly
• fair, transparent, and consistent in all their interactions
• active listeners who tailor their conversation and approach to people individually
• comfortable standing their ground
• patient, non-judgemental and exercise empathy and establish boundaries to develop effective working relationships
• hold their own moral compass and operate within standard procedures.

What makes a good sheriff’s officer?

Sheriff’s officers who enjoy their work most:

• are motivated by the opportunity to serve the community
• are naturally patient, positive and empathetic
• are team players who consistently work to the best of their ability.

Sheriff’s officers come from a wide variety of backgrounds

All life experiences are highly valued in the sheriff’s officer role.

Every person has the potential to make a good sheriff’s officer, particularly those with:

• a wide variety of life experience. This may come from professional experience, education or volunteering
• experience of working with a diverse range of people and dealing with members of the community
• experience working within a team or as part of a group.